Retainer spring clip



Sept. 19, 1950 M. CASERTA RETAINER SPRING CLIP Filed Sept. 24, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED RETAINER SPRING meme mm, Lake Orion,

Application September 24, 194-5; Serial Ne; trsus'i 7" claims (01. 'st si i'nifent'ioii relates "erallj t6 c'li ore particulai'l tes to a simple ttfiie ojr spripg' asten n p mfny intended or inl maintaining pa ts in assembled relation L It'is an object pf t e invention; t'o provide a I si l any mamaemm, and effective re ma p sse 1 tha n i fre i dvice o may be substitut'ed for er' pins used in many insth des for maintaining partsin' assembled relatin.

1 ap "iec'iated; the device of presentinx'ienmgn not only much simpler easieri tp afpply Han acdtt'r" pintype of and further marked disl fig ure z is an enlarged, top plan view cf" a spring clip constructibn ofj the" type utilized forass'embling'the partsshown' in" Figure 1.

Figure 3" is a side elevatipnafviewof the spring clip'lstr'ucture shown 1 in Figure '2;

Figure 41s a tqpplanview'ldfamodified form of spring" clip strueture' similar in purposeand flinctibn to: the cbristructibri shbwn in'- Figures 1 ti) 3, inclusive;

F igure B-is-a side-'elevational view of the spring clip cdnstructiofi shown in Figure 4.

With more particular-rreferenceeto the drawings, it will be readily appreciated that while uissfiring clip structure shown may have many and various uses, it is primarily intended to maintain a rod or pin in predetermined assembled relation with respect to any associated stru"c 5 d f' tire having an aperture thei eiifthrougli Which the rod or pin passes.

' l, -.l -1 Generally speaking: springjclip constructions of thegeneraltype with whieh the present in vention is concerned have two main junctions, One portion 9f the spring clip is designedand 5 intendedte firmlyu engage the rod, or pin; and

the remainder of the clip constitutes a compres; sion spring adapted ;tq bear against the plate; or a fi b e'd- H w y a n t e .rl qtu e hqwn inu l ur 1,itwi 1=b readily seen that the yconstructign shpwnuzinz l5 determined pe siticn with respect to a panel E15 esta; it wlll' e readilysee n thatmthe ti'g'ri 5 which less than the In" In or wan structure 3 which in the specific formi fid 'vn includes a shml eip abu m t .4 a ainst which the improved spring clip of the present intention, is adapted, to bear. v V

I messengers of t e iniielitidn hdwmm t -9 1a v i t sle integra oi p is re orm d-t0 lessipn mil -spring por; Y" on q t stq a, h ad t m r s g" la epsert s lo s ps ndll sa. a g in sub tantially, the same plane; The s'prihg ,iis gfpr rned -sp that the interior diameter. of this head pigrtipn is slightly diameter pf the. rece.S 10111 is adapted to seat;

lenggcij w fe,- dr iie" previae a helical c'o in whicli" this he p0 his" fastene on't o the portion with which the rod is to be as-t e in and? sha i e qit so; prepq'rtipned with I a plane surface perpendicular to the aids of the 1 spring in order to provide a substantial area of engagement for the end of the spring against the panel structure with which the clip is os= sembled.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will be readily appreciated that th spring clip structure shown therein is designed and intended for the same purpose and function as the spring clip structure shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive. In this embodiment-of the invention, however, the two ends of the sin le piece or wire from which the clip is formed constitute the head portion l of the clip and are adapted to -snap into a recess similar to the recess '2 when the parts are assembled. The midportion 'of the single piece of wire from which the clip shown "in Figures 4 and 5 is formed is bent upon itself to provide a pair of undulating coilsprings 8 which may have any number of convolutions desired, depending upon the length of the compression spring which is to be utilized for the particular assembled construction. These two undulating coi1 springs 8 which are, as shown, formed from a single piece of wire are spaced from each other sufficiently far so that they will more'or less surround the pin to which the head portion is fastened.

It will be readily appreciated that the principal distinction between the form of spring clip construction shown in Figures 4 and 5 over that shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, resides in the fact that in the construction of Figs. 4 and 5, the spring clip may be applied to the pin laterally and; likewise, may be used in connection with a rod or pin of indefinite length and in which access to the end of the rod is not necessary for installing th clip construction.

It will be appreciated that the two specific forms of the invention illustrated in the drawings and-described in detail above are merely illustrative of many forms which the improved spring clip construction may take. Many other modifications thereof may be made falling within the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. A spring retainer construction for fastening a rod having an annular recess therearound to a member having an aperture therein through which said rod projects, said retainer comprising a s ngle length of wire preformed to provide a resilient head portion adapted to snap into engagement with the annular recess in said rod, said wire being further preformed to provide a compression coil spring extending from said head portion and abutting against said member.

2. A spring retainer construction for fastening a rodhaving an annular recess therearound to a member aving an aperture therein through wh ch said rod projects, said retainer comprising a S ength of wire prefformed to provide a res1l1ent head portion adapt ed to snap into enagement with the annular recess in said rod,

sald W1re being further prei Formed to provide a compression-coil spring exter idling from said head portion and abutting against said member, said compression coilspring at least partially sur rounding said rod.

3. A spring retainer construction for fastening a rod having an annular recess therearound to a member having an aperture therein throughwhich said rod projects, said retainer comprising a single length of wire preformed t6 provide a resilient head portion adapted to snap into ngagement with the annular recess said rod,

.s'a-id wire being further preformed to provide a compression coil spring extending from said head portion and abutting against said member, said compression. coil spring being of generally helical form and surrounding said rod.

4. A spring retainer construction for fastening a rod having an annular recess therearound near one end'thereof to a member having an aperture therein through which the end of said rod is adapted to project, said retainer comprising a single length of wire having one end reforme'o' to provide a head portion adapted for snap fastening engagement with the annular recess in said red, the opposite end of said length of wir being preformed to provide a compression s rin adapted to abut against said member, said compression coil spring being helical in form and being adapted to surround said rod in spaced relation. with respect thereto.

5. A spring retainer construction for. fastening a rod having an annular recess therearound near" one end thereof to a member having an aperture therein through which the end of said rod is adapted to project, said retainer comprising a single length of wire having one end preformed" to provide an annular series of undulations lying in a common plane whereby to provide a head portion having an inner diameter normally smaller than the diameter of said annular recess in said rod, the opposite end of said length of wire being preformed to provide a generally helical coil spring extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said head portion.

6. A spring retainer construction for fastening a rod having an annular recess therearound near one end thereof to a member having an a erture. therein through which said rod is adapted to! project, said retainer comprising a single length of wire having the end portions thereof pre formed to provide a head portion for said retainer adapted for snap fastening en agement with the" recess in said rod, the mid-portion of said length of Wire being preformed to provide a pair of sinuous spring elements extending in a directiongenerally perpendicular to the plane of said head portion.

7. In a combination, a rod-like member provided with a transverse recess, and a spring clip construction comprising a single integral length of wire preformed to provide a spring portion tensionable substantially in the direction of the axis of said rod-like member, and a head portion provided with undulations in a plane substantially normal to said axis and engaging said transverse recess.

MICHELE CASERTA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Num er Name Date l fili, M shes 9 3 

